Stravaganza: City of the Flower's Deception
by Cruel Angel's Love
Summary: Luciano and Arianna have a close relationship and are growing even closer until disaster stikes. Will Luciano and Arianna find happiness or will this disaster end their love forever? Disclaimer: I do not own Stravaganza or any of the characters.


**Stravaganza: City of the Flower's Deceptions**

Luciano hadn't been feeling well for the past few days, yet he kept going to his lessons with Rodolfo. Rodolfo knew something was wrong, but he didn't mention it to the young man. Luciano seemed very out of it today. He was shaky and his eyes were unfocused on his work.

"Luciano, are you going to work on the mirror?"

"Yes, sir," Luciano said slowly.

Luciano walked in the back room with a mirror and fiddled with it. There was a crash of a single mirror and a thud. Rodolfo rushed in to find Luciano on his knees trying to pick up broken glass. He kept picking up the pieces even though he bled like crazy. He looked like he didn't notice what he was doing.

"Luciano… Stop…"

Luciano didn't look up; he kept picking up the pieces.

Rodolfo walked over to him and lifted him up. He took the pieces from him and walked him to the couch. "Luciano, come; you need to rest."

"No… I have to work…and clean up… I'm sorry… I'm so…worthless…"

Rodolfo settled Luciano onto the couch. "You're not useless, now let me clean off your hands."

Rodolfo left and came back with a cloth and a bucket of water. He cleaned off Luciano's still bleeding hands. Luciano just sat there in a daze, lost in his own little world. He mumbled to himself, but Rodolfo couldn't make out the words.

It had been five hours since Luciano had his breakdown. He was sleeping on the couch. It had taken him awhile to get to sleep, though. Even as he slept he twisted and jerked under the cover. Rodolfo stayed close by and waited for the boy to wake up.

Dethridge came in later to see how Luciano was doing. He guessed that the boy was ill when he didn't come home all day. Luciano stayed with Rodolfo for three days, still sleeping. Rodolfo decided not to tell Arianna, for he feared she would worry too much about him.

On the day Luciano woke up, Arianna went to visit her father. He was out getting medicine for Luciano at the time, so of course, she didn't see him.

Luciano was leaning on the back of the couch with his legs hanging off the side. He was silent and in a daze, he didn't even notice Arianna until she tapped his shoulder. He didn't even respond to her gentle touch.

"Luciano…"

He didn't answer her.

"Luciano… What's wrong?"

He still didn't answer. She sat down beside him and held him. Rodolfo walked in and sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't find him like that."

"What's wrong with him…?"

"I'm not sure. He was sick and he's unresponsive. He had a fever a few days and he went to sleep. He didn't wake up until to today."

"Luciano… Answer me, please… Tell me…, what's wrong?"

"Arianna, just let him rest for now. He's not going to answer you. Something's happened to him…"

"Okay…" Arianna sighed and stood up. She looked back to Luciano and left. She hugged her father tightly and cried.

"Please, take care of him…"

"I will. Don't worry. He'll be fine."

Luciano was finally able to walk around, though, so that's what he did. He walked around, trying to help Rodolfo. Luciano got a lot of work done, and he went home now.

It was a rainy day, the day Luciano didn't come to see Rodolfo. Rodolfo went to see him at Dottore Crinamorte's home, but Luciano wasn't there. Luciano's foster father said that Luciano had left already.

Rodolfo left quickly without saying another word. He had to find Luciano; he was over two hours late.

_Where is he…? Luciano!_

Out in front of the Duchessa's palace sat a boy, barely breathing. His eyes were barely opened, his heart was barely beating. He looked up at the people walking by. They gave him shady looks and whispered.

'_What happened to him…?'_

'_Is that Cavaliere Luciano…?'_

'_It couldn't be…' _The whispers went on and on. Many people that passed by thought he was a bum.

Finally, someone alerted the guards that there was a man sitting in front of the palace. Luckily, one recognized him and worked with another guard to bring him inside. He was weak and couldn't stand on his own. Barbara just happened to be away from Arianna at the time and was told to fetch the Duchessa. Barbara rushed up the stairs and found Arianna looking out the window… There was a single rose in a glass and a fish figurine in front of her. She saw the rain trickling down on the streets, and it depressed her so.

"Duchessa…"

"What is it, Barbara? You look out of breath."

"Cavaliere Luciano is…"

Barbara didn't even finish before Arianna ran past her to see Luciano. Barbara rushed after her, tripping over the steps, while the Duchessa flew down them with such grace.

"Luciano!" she screamed when she saw the soaked boy. He was barely awake, but he managed a weak smile. She rushed over to him and took him into her embrace. She cried on him-her tears mixed with the rain water, soaking his clothes and body.

He collapsed into her arms. His body fell limp and she cried even harder.

"Luciano…! Please, don't leave me!" she screamed to the heavens and the stars. She cursed the Goddess in her mind for taking her love. "Please, don't take him from me," she whispered so no one could hear.

She put him down and rested his tired body on the floor. The floor was slippery and the guards slipped as they walked closer to the couple.

"Get back, please…" she told them.

Luciano could still hear slightly.

'_Luciano, you have to be okay…'_

'_Duche—"_

'_Leave, I told you… Luciano…baby…wake up…please…'_

Luciano could hear her or anyone else anymore. Their voices faded out into his mind. Far out, into the dark obis of his clouded mind.

_Am I going to die like this, _Luciano thought as hedrifted further and further into the darkness.

Rodolfo arrived about thirty minutes later, soaked to the bone. He had been searching for Luciano, it hadn't even crossed his mind that he had come to see Arianna.

Rodolfo ran to Arianna's side. She stared at him in disbelief. Her eyes were filled with tears and were just as clouded as Luciano's were.

"Arianna, stand back…" Rodolfo pointed at a strong looking guard. "You come and take him up to my tower." Rodolfo ordered.

"Yes, Senator Rossi."

The young guard lifted Luciano up into his arms and carried him back outside. He ran quickly through the street, for the rain was still pouring down. Rodolfo followed the guard and Arianna stayed on the floor. A big puddle of rain water surrounded her and she was just too shocked to get up. She was still crying. She fainted and Barbara ran to catch her.

Luciano was settled onto the couch again. His breathing was barely noticeable, though he was still alive. He shivered and jerked about. There was no telling what he was struggling through in his mind.

Rodolfo searched for covers and covered Luciano with them. The guard left the two and ran back down the alley. Luciano coughed and curled up in the fetal position. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and Rodolfo rushed over to him with a bucket. Luciano was already covered with the blood. Rodolfo tried to wipe the blood up, but Luciano only expelled more. His body shook and was racked with coughs once again. Rodolfo didn't know what else to do. He walked out and left the pitiful Luciano alone.

Rodolfo fell asleep in the other room. The next day, he woke up to a thud. There was heavy breathing and sudden coughs. Rodolfo rushed in, knowing that Luciano had fallen off the couch. He found Luciano leaning against the couch, sitting up. Luciano greeted his master with a slight smile filled with pain and suffering.

"She told me not to leave her—and I'm not going to leave her," he simply said.

"I'll go and get Arianna," Rodolfo said quietly.

"Please, don't. She'll be better off not knowing."

"Are you sure you don't want her to know?"

"Yes, I'm sure. It's best she not know anything until I'm sure of what's happening to me…" Luciano coughed and sighed. "Just…don't tell her, yet."

"Alright, Luciano…" Rodolfo sighed. "Do you need help getting back up?"

"No, I'm fine right here."

"Are you positive?"

"Yeah…" Luciano fainted and slid onto his side. Rodolfo stared at the boy and went over to him to put him back on the couch, but stopped.

_I have no doubt in my mind that he'll be happier where he is…_

Rodolfo turned to leave and stopped again, hearing Luciano cough and something wet hit the floor. He went to Luciano and put the bucket of the waking boy.

"Luciano…"

Luciano coughed up blood into the bucket twice. He stopped and coughed more. When he finally stopped coughing he leaned back on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling and smiled. It was the first time he'd smiled in awhile, but it was filled with despair.

"Do you think…she'll be sad if I…if I…die…?"

"Of course she will! That's why you have to get better!"

"I don't want to make her sad… But, I'm so tired…"

Luciano started to close his eyes. His hand that sat on the bucket fell limp. His smiled faded.

"Luciano, don't you dare give up!"

Luciano's eyes closed and he heaved a great sigh. "…sorry…"

"Luciano…!"

Rodolfo rushed to the boy's side and shook him. Luciano didn't wake up this time. His face, pale and sullen was no longer a face of a living person. Rodolfo let go of Luciano and stood up. He put the boy on the couch and covered him with a cover. He walked out of the tower and went out in the rain to see Arianna. He walked in, covered with water.

He didn't have to go far to see Arianna. She was still sitting on the floor where she had been when he left with Luciano.

"Arianna…"

She looked up and knew why he had come. She burst into tears.

_You lied, Luciano… _"You said you wouldn't leave me!" Arianna screamed out to the heavens. "You were supposed to be there, because I loved you! You said you loved me…"

_You said you didn't want to make her sad… You didn't come through…,_ Rodolfo thought.

He went to his daughter and hugged her. "It's okay. Cry all you want. I know it's hard, isn't it?"

Arianna cried into his shoulder. Somehow, she built up the strength to talk. "Can I go see him…?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Father; I'm sure."

Rodolfo helped her up and draped a coat over her shoulders. They walked quickly back to his tower.

It was obvious where Luciano was. There was a pool of blood that led up to the couch that was also covered with blood. There was a bloody blanket over a figure that no longer moved. Arianna rushed to it, knowing that it was Luciano. She grabbed the cover and hugged him. "Luciano…!"

She cried onto the boy's chest and settled him back down. His lifeless body was soaked with rain, blood, and tears. Arianna added to the tears that coated him. Rodolfo pulled her back after awhile, fearing she would lose her mind.

He kept her there, but away from Luciano. He covered Luciano's face again and walked away.

It rained all day, and it rained the next. It rained that whole week. The red rose that sat on Arianna window fell out into the street later in the week. She watched it before it was trampled under the feet of unknowing people. Its beautiful red petals were being soaked by the rain. The world was grey for Arianna now. Nothing but those red petals showed up. That beautiful rose Luciano had given her…

_**Let the rain fall…**_


End file.
